Serendipity
by xxiiixo
Summary: The suggestion of heading to the casino for a getaway begins to spark new feelings that had laid dormant and two individuals are all-too-eager to find understanding in the midst of uncertainty. NoelxHope.
1. Prologue

**_Serendipity_**

Prologue

* * *

_How had this happened again?_

The rain had cast its presence over the city of Academia. The streets were awash with flooding water, the sound of puddles being splashed as citizens of the city ran for any sort of cover. With the streets almost becoming desolate, only two beings remained just a little out of sight.

It would be an understatement to say that the occurrence was not something that either of the two in question had ever thought to happen. The idea that such a thing would ever be thought into existence was already radical enough. But yet there it was happening in that very moment.

Wet kisses exchanged amidst the falling rain that cascaded over their bodies. Clothes clung to skin as that skin was felt with curious fingertips and an intense passion subtly starting to form in the moans that came with the meeting of lips.

Hips rubbed against one another to make a sensation that was too surreal, it was almost like a weakness. The raindrops only continued in a harsher descent, the ground slowly building with another layer of water. That hardly averted the one known as Noel Kreiss from continuing his dominance over the esteemed Academy leader better known as Hope Estheim.

They had simply been walking down the street. It had been like any other day when the two time travelers had decided to pay a visit to that part of the timeline. And yet even as they exited the shops and began to head back to the building where their comrades awaited them, something had been different.

The subtle touches, the passing glances. The way their smiles were reaching their eyes. The calling of one another's name either accidentally or casually slipping it into the conversation. It certainly hadn't been something that was planned, but it had escalated.

The conversation had been something as simple as their next destination. A break was needed for the two travelers, especially after having to deal with another series of grueling fights. The idea to head to Serendipity for a few days had been Serah's idea, to which, the hunter really couldn't refuse. She was obviously called Meanie Miss Farron for a reason, and not getting her way was definitely one of them.

But just as Hope had heard the idea, he felt a certain rush of uncertainty. It was the oddest thing, and to not know why he suddenly felt that at the mentioning of her going with him to such a place. And then it all made sense.

As Noel just happened a glance over at the silver-haired man in that precise moment-he could sense that lapse of uncertainty in the split second that it had come to pass.

**And that was when the rain started.**

That was when an arm had been grabbed.

**And that was when the nearby alleyway had been occupied by both men.**

That was when those tan hands pushed the perfectly-suited body of Hope Estheim against the wall.

**And that was when Noel Kreiss mercilessly began kissing the lips of the man whom he had just gotten a strange and sudden need of expressing himself to.**

_After all, he had never been good at holding back._


	2. Sequence I: Avoidance

**_Serendipity_**

Sequence I: Avoidance

* * *

Time moved onward as the rain dispersed.

Puddles remained in the Academy lobby, and nothing but wet clothing and water droplets that coated the floor left any trace of the occurrence that day.

It had been a decision that both had made once the sound of thunder had erupted in the sky. Almost like a striking realization as to just what they were doing. What actions had already been taken.

Lips pulled away from one another with two warm bodies also doing the same.

The soft, green eyes held a look of confusion but no longer that of uncertainty. That had been the one glance that had started it all. A sapphire gaze stared back rather intently, heavy breaths passing over the toned chest that was slightly visible through the tribal clothing that clung to the contours of his frame.

Not another word was spoken as Hope turned, dashing down the streets that were littered with nothing but puddles of water. He had no intention of fleeing, but with his mind almost like mush he didn't trust himself in his current state. The unthinkable had just happened. Nothing was adding up. He needed to take solace in something familiar to sort out his emotions.

That left Noel leaned up against the wall in the marginally darkened alleyway. That adrenaline rush was still coursing through his veins. He had acted on pure instinct. His hand had reached out and his lips had-_**no**_, he had to stop replaying it in his mind. It only happened just seconds beforehand, but even now he was already missing that intimacy.

No questions had answers. Neither could understand what had possessed them to act and respond in such ways.

_An entire week went by with those questions still lingering._

Calculations, formulas, research, that was all that had been filling the thought process for the director during those agonizingly long seven days. It was the only method he could partake in to keep himself from mentally becoming unstable.

Those questions were still there, and they only managed to creep into his thoughts in the few instances that he was taking a break. However, it wasn't so much the idea of actually spending time thinking on them, it was more of the unnecessary baggage that would come with acknowledging just what those answers were.

The idea of going to a casino with just a man and a woman that usually would lead to rather risqué scenarios. It was just a common notion, even more so with Serendipity. The place was set up mainly for gambling purposes, but there was also the flip side of the coin where sex was heavily advertised in every nook and cranny possible.

Rubbing his temple, the thoughts started lingering their way into his work and he soon found himself dwelling on it entirely.

Why should he care if he goes with Serah to some casino?

Maybe it was the fear that Serah seemed to have completely knocked out the idea of having some kind of future with Snow. The engaged couple being put on hold, it was almost like Serah had become a completely different person since he last saw her. It subconsciously made him worry that she might actually take Noel's kindness as something else.

But wait, wouldn't that mean that he had done the same thing? They had become friends, rather close ones at that-learning to trust one another given such grueling circumstances. Even still, he couldn't deny not minding the man in blue's company. Or how his eyes gave away every emotion that he was feeling. _The way he said his name…_

A sharp noise of the door sliding open behind of him snapped him out of the incessant thoughts seated in his mind. Turning, his eyes landed on that of his assistant. She walked over to him, her hand reaching her hip just as she tilted her head.

"So, I managed to complete something just in time."

With a raise of his eyebrow, the researcher clearly had no idea just what she was going on about.

"Which project exactly because I gave you several to work on?"

Alyssa waved her hand to dismiss the idea. "None of the serious work stuff. It's a side project that I had been working on by myself."

Curiosity completely took over Hope as he noticed the woman instruct him to follow her. To the right of the room, another pair of doors slid open just as they continued onward still. Several rooms later, they finally arrived at the back area where most of the maintenance on machinery was done.

With a click of a few buttons on a nearby panel, a large machine resembling a capsule emerged moments later. Hope was clearly stunned by what he saw.

"You fixed it?"

"It wasn't easy. I had to order some parts that were a little over budget, but with enough time I got it up and running again."

It was the capsule that they had initially used to travel into the future. It had been broken beyond repair, or so he had thought. Apparently, the parts in the future must have been of far better standards than he first thought. As he ran his hand over the side of the machine, he was almost enthralled.

The sound of the doors sliding open once again caused his hand to fall just as he turned to see the familiar duo.

His heart clenched a bit. There he was, the man he had been trying to desperately _not_ to think about. It was almost as if all his efforts to seem normal had been blown away in the single instant that he entered the room.

"Part two of my project. We're going to Serendipity with them!"

Even more shocking, his heart was going to be out of commission at this rate. Hope decided to avert his gaze to the blonde woman, trying his best not to give any sort of off-putting acknowledgement to the other man in the room.

"We figured you two are always working, and you guys probably need a break just as much as we do." Serah smiled with nothing but sincerity as she giggled at Mog who was speaking a 'kupo' in agreement.

Hope was about to begin making his protests, but the object of his thoughts beat him to having the last word.

"And before you can say no, we've already covered the bases of your workload here. You two leaving for a few days will be practically no time for this time frame anyway."

Daring a glance at him, Hope wish he hadn't looked at all. Those eyes were staring over at him, and it felt like they were taking in every bit of him. Noel was clearly focusing all his attention on him. What had he said, _he wasn't good at holding back_? Just a mere glance was proving that to be true.

Keeping his composure, the suited man simply gave a sideways glance to Alyssa before realizing he was cornered. There was obviously no way out of a 3 to 1 scenario. Inwardly sighing, he knew that this little trip was going to bring nothing but more stress.

Being stuck with the one person you're trying to avoid will do that to you.

* * *

The next morning, no time was wasted in loading up the capsule with what seemed like far too much luggage just for a few days of a trip. Of course, they had been taking some things for the two time travelers as well, so the extra luggage was at least understandable.

It still didn't make Hope any happier at this mishap of a mini-vacation.

The capsule was loaded up just as the two Academy leaders were nestled inside. The doors closed and within seconds the capsule had disappeared into the fabric of time.

That left the two travelers to set out on their own way through the Historia Crux. As the pink-haired woman ran towards the large gate, her hand pressed onto the crystal to teleport them into the correct area.

Floating along the traces of time, it gave Noel a few moments to ponder on the current situation. It was more than evident that the other man was still perplexed by the happenings just a week beforehand. It would have been a lie to say that he wasn't still feeling the exact same way.

The only thing he knew for certain was that his mind and body had reacted a certain way for a reason. He had initiated such intimacy with the instincts that came with being a hunter. Lone glances back onto the past moments of being in the alleyway made him feel a sense of longing.

This trip was at least happening at a proper time. It was obvious that they needed to sort it out. And if the man in question refused to cooperate, well, he'd just have to take matters into his own hands.

No more thoughts were allowed as their bodies began to materialize from the timeline to the proper location. The lights of the colorful casino filled the eternal night sky, just as a woman stood promptly at the entrance awaiting new guests to arrive.

Their feet touched the ground just as a yell further past the entrance was heard.

A stack of luggage was already loaded onto a trolley where what appeared to be a bellman and the other two that completed their group of four were already waiting for them.

"Welcome to Serendipity, may I see your passes please?"

Noel pulled out the papers that allowed them entrance into the casino just as the worker gave them a curt smile before directing them inside.

"Enjoy your stay."

The duo both said a thanks in response just as Alyssa ran to hug the other woman. The hunter let his gaze move to Hope to not have the look reciprocated. The avoiding hadn't changed yet.

Feeling a bit gruff, the bellman began to lead them to hotel area. The lobby was vast but it was also still outside. Numerous workers were busy in leading other guests to their rooms, and the actual guests of the hotel were quite diverse.

Those who were obviously wealthy roamed about, and those who were obviously scantily clad did as well. The elevator chimed open and the group clamored inside. The ride was far too short, but that was probably just from being so used to riding to the 60th floor in Academia.

The doors chimed opened once again upon the arrival of the eleventh floor. Room 1123 was where the group was led to just as the bellman opened the door to wheel the luggage inside. The researcher handed the man a tip just as the women began giggling in awe at the suite they were now in.

"Gosh if this is what this room looks like then I can't imagine how the penthouse is."

Serah ran around to every room in the suite, which looked to be about 5 rooms. Two holding king size beds as well as bathrooms, one being a kitchen, and another being a common room area.

The main area held the large window that showed off the never-ending lights of Serendipity.

"Ah to live a life of luxury." Alyssa was practically swooning as she fell back onto the large, fluffy couch in the common room area. The large, flat screen TV hung on the wall nearby as a mini-bar adorned the floor underneath of it.

"Well then, should we change and head downstairs to look around?"

The man in blue decided to suggest the most obvious first route just as the two girls seemed eager in their agreement. As they began to grab their few bags of luggage, they ran to the room to the very left of the entrance.

"We'll take this room. Girls only! No boys allowed!" The blonde woman laughed just as she slammed the door shut so they could have a few moments to change.

Noel scratched the back of his head just as Hope looked off to the side with a shake of his head.

"I guess I'll take the couch." As he went to grab his bag from the trolley, Noel moved down the steps to the comfortable looking piece of furniture.

"You don't have to do that."

"I'm sure it folds out into a bed, so it's no problem."

"Noel-"

"Look, I'm grateful to just have a bed to sleep on."

With a wave of his hands as if to signal he was backing off, Hope moved to grab his own bag before heading over to the right of the suite to where the other bedroom was located.

"Suit yourself."

The answer was monotone at best. It wasn't that he was being cold; he just found it annoying that their first, personal conversation since that incident was going to be an argument over sleeping arrangements.

Hope closed his own door, setting down his bag at the edge of the bed before unzipping it and beginning to pick out something suitable to wear. They were only going to explore a bit, so he decided a pair of grey jeans and a black, button-down shirt would be best.

However, Noel was hardly even thinking about what he was putting on. His emotions had tolled over to a slight annoyance at the exchange that had just occurred. The last thing he wanted was to already have the other man be put off from even speaking to him properly.

Slipping on a pair of dark, blue jeans, he hastily pulled on a blue t-shirt that Serah had bought for him at some point or another. He stepped into his sneakers, not even having to bother tying them since they were still tied from previous use.

He then began his race over to the right bedroom in the suite. Swinging open the door that was unlocked, his eyes caught sight of Hope who had just finished buttoning his shirt.

"Noel what the hell are you-"

The taller man wandered over, grabbing onto the right shoulder of Hope just as he easily pushed him back onto the bed directly behind of him. His body towered over him; a knee being placed directly between his slightly spread legs and his hand helping to keep him steady as he leered down at the silver-haired man.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Hope was still in slight shock at how he had been caught off-guard with the actions of the other man. Swallowing uneasily, his mouth was still unable to form any sort of response as he saw those sapphire eyes brimming with a slight anger and the need to know _why_.

Not hearing anything, Noel leaned his head down closer, his words being breathed in a low tone.

"Answer me."

"I don't know."

It was the only answer that came to mind and it was spoken without a proper thought being made to it.

"You won't even look at me, much less talk to me normally."

Hope looked away, staring over at the wall as he tried not to focus on the breathing that he felt which lingered much too close to his neck now.

"What am I supposed to say after what happened?"

"Anything you want or need to say."

Those green eyes hesitantly moved back to staring up at sapphire ones. His pink lips began to part as if he was going to reply with something that would move the conversation in the right direction, but it was interrupted by a loud yell next door.

"We're ready!"

Noel grunted lowly and decided to withdraw from his current position to avoid unnecessary questioning from the other two. As he stood upright, he watched as the figure on the bed sat up before moving to grab his shoes from the suitcase nearby.

"Talk about whatever you want. I wouldn't advise avoiding me though."

The warning left Hope completely confused. As he went to question him, the other man stopped in the doorway and glanced over at him with an intense look.

"Why not?"

"Because I'll find a way to make you regret doing it."

In a swift movement Noel disappeared from sight. Nothing but giggles were heard in the distance as the other man attempted to find some sort of understanding in those words.

With uncertainty beginning to make its way back into the equation, the group of four began to make their way downstairs to start on whatever nightlife, scandals, or discoveries that Serendipity would bring them.


	3. Sequence II: False Normalcy

**_Serendipity_**

Sequence II: False Normalcy

* * *

The elevator chimed to signal their arrival back in the lobby where they had just been not even half an hour before. Both women were dressed in miniskirts and tank tops. It seemed as if they were more fascinated with crowd surfacing, pointing at a few men that seemed to catch their attention. Serah blushed a bit, trying not to seem as obvious as Alyssa was being.

Both men were at either side of them. Hope strayed a little ways from Alyssa's side as Noel did the same from Serah's. The two women were crunched in the center, obviously too distracted with the people and scenery to notice how the other two in the group were hardly even present at that moment.

Hope had been slightly put off from the confusion that he had been left with because of _**him**_. If there was one thing he hated, it was not having an answer to a question. A solution was needed, but he could not decipher what that solution would be.

In his mind, Hope settled that there would be no harm in at least talking normally. Clearly the other man wasn't intent on just dragging him into another alleyway any time soon. Well, he at least thought that to be true. One could never tell with how forward Noel could be. Given how he had just been pinned down on the bed just a few minutes ago.

The other side of things left the hunter inwardly trying to calm the recesses of his annoyance from earlier. It was never like him to let a single emotion continuously affect him for such duration of time. Luckily, the main casino area came into view and within seconds they had been whirled into the chaotic atmosphere.

The room was enormous and darkly lit. The lights were golden, and hundreds of seats were already occupied with gamblers of every sort. The slots, black jack, poker, which was just a few of the games that were being played out in every corner of the casino.

"We have to get coins first, right?" Serah tapped her finger to her chin before looking up at her fellow time traveler.

"Yeah, the booth for it should be nearby."

Noel pointed dead ahead. It was hard to tell it was there with a small crowd that had been forming around one of the nearby dealer tables.

"All right, let's cash in for some coins. I say we each get our own portion, and whoever seems to be the luckiest can have the remaining portion."

Alyssa wiggled her eyebrows before dashing over to the booth where casino workers were avidly serving customers. The pink-haired woman smiled before grabbing Noel's hand, taking him along with her as she headed over to the same area.

That left Hope to tread behind them at a snail's pace. His eyes seemed to instantly latch onto the sight of the younger Farron holding onto the tan hand of the other man.

The same hand that had grabbed him that one day.

**The one that had pushed him up against the wall before those lips-**

"Hope! I need 5,000 gil for your coins!"

His assistant yelled over at him just as he reached for his wallet, pulling out the required amount before sliding it to the casino worker.

The hand that held onto his own made a weird feeling form in the pit of his stomach. He knew it was probably just out of genuine friendship, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of regret the moment he had felt her go through with the action.

Noel gradually managed to work his hand away as he used that hand to point over at some slots on the other side of the room.

"I think we should start with something easy. How about a few rounds of the slots?"

"Let's see which one of us has the magic fingers." Alyssa muttered jokingly as they wandered back over to the rather popular area of the slot machines.

They managed to snag two seats next to each other on one row, but the two men were stuck fending for single seats on the next row over. Directly at the end of the aisle, Noel and Hope sat with their backs facing one another.

Coins were inserted and the musical noise emitted from the slots machine began to play from both ends. As they continued in the same motion for a few minutes, neither had really won nor lost anything as of yet.

"I always hated the slot machines."

Hope mumbled with some hesitation. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to start a conversation, especially given how he had been put off again after seeing what he had a few moments ago.

"How come?"

A low response came from Noel as he tilted his head to the side a bit, almost wanting to see if he was able to see the other man looking at him from the corner of his eye.

The sound of a lone machine was heard just as Hope had stopped inserting coins. He swerved around in the stool, looking over to see the slightly turned head revealing a bit of a blue gaze.

"They're obviously rigged. You'd have to deposit half of your coins before you win enough back. And even then, you only win enough to get back up to your original amount."

This was starting to sound like the researcher that he had come to know so well.

Noel let his machine run one last time before turning to face the other man. A small laugh escaped him as the smile still remained on his lips even after.

"I guess I can agree to that. The only games I've ever really played are card games, so my expertise is better suited for that."

For some reason that statement intrigued Hope, envisioning the man sitting at a table, flipping cards and having that almost trademark smirk of his as he did so-It made him _want_ to see such a sight.

The machine that Noel had been sitting at made a musical noise just as Hope stood up and peered over at it more closely.

"Looks like you won about ten coins back, not a bad start."

The fabric of the black shirt that hung from the older man's shoulders traced over Noel's arm just a little. As he could still feel the man lingering close to him, he let his gaze remain on the figure directly beside of him.

"Is that so?" Noel let his hands reach into the chasm at the bottom of the machine, taking the coins and pocketing them before standing up close to the silver-haired man.

"I think you should take half since you probably gave me some good luck."

A tan hand slid a few coins into a pocket of the grey jeans that loosely clung onto Hope's legs. Noel could sense the obvious inhale from the other man as he did this. It only made him proceed in staying in that close proximity.

"Good luck..?"

Noel opened his mouth to reply before a squeal broke his concentration.

"I won a few coins! What about you guys?"

"It looks like Noel did!" Serah moved through to the other side of Noel as she pointed at the shining lights on the machine that signaled he had recently won. She smiled up at him in a familiar manner as she started looking up and down at him. "How much did you win?"

Hope started feeling that put off feeling again and so he withdrew by taking a few steps back. It seemed as if the pink-haired woman was keen on being super friendly with her time traveling partner. Not that he should care; they were bound to have become best friends by that point. It was just the way that she seemed to be using **every** opportunity in order to _get close to him_.

Green eyes glanced away for some sort of distraction as he could hear Noel pulling out a few coins to show the two women. Serah seemed a bit _too_ excited at the site, and Alyssa simply waved it off as she was going into a bit of a cocky mode.

"The night is still young. I think we should check out the next area." She placed both of her hands in the back pockets of her skirt as she led the group through the large casino and into a glass hallway that led to another building.

Fragmented lights began to dart all over the floor further ahead. Double doors were slowly opened by two women in lingerie just as the atmosphere began to shift from fun to that of sensual.

Entering another darkly lit room, only the flashing lights were seen at first. The stages scattered along the center of the room and some in the corners had platforms for pole dancers with spot lights on each one. Circular tables had many seated customers, mostly male. A bar sprawled along the left side of the room.

Alyssa was already making a beeline for the bar just as Serah was following after her while glancing around with curious eyes. Men were obviously looking over at the two of them as they approached the bar, and a few male customers were already offering to buy drinks for them.

With a sigh, Noel instantly moved over to the bar to wave the men away. The last thing they needed was for some mishap to occur with a spiked drink. Hope eventually worked his way over as well, trying not to pay too much attention to how Serah had leaned near Noel's back as the man was doing his good deed of keeping the creeps away.

"I'll take an Orgasm."

"A-what?" Serah's innocent mind was clearly shining through just as Alyssa waved over at the bartender again.

"She'll have one too!"

Noel rubbed at the back of his head before he wavered and finally decided to give in to ordering something as well. Hell, they were on vacation. _Might as well enjoy it._

"I'll have the house beer."

The bartender looked over at the remaining person in the group as if to silently question if he wanted something too.

"Oh, I'll have the same."

Hope really hadn't been paying attention. Not to mention, he really wasn't a drinker so that would probably be the only thing he'd have at all that night.

"Well then, I believe we should find a good seat. Anyone got some ones?"

Alyssa was already intent on watching some of the strippers, it seemed like there were also male strippers in an area further ahead. The club was huge. Booths were along the walls and velvet couches lined on the second-floor area. It also looked as if there was a more private area at the very right of the room.

"I wonder how many lap dances are done in a day." Serah was clearly fascinated with the sensual aspect of the room, and as she picked up her drink and began to sip it, it was also obvious that she hadn't drunk much before.

The bartender opened the two bottles of beer and slid them over to the brown-haired man just as the money was laid on the counter to cover all the drinks. Noel moved his arm over Serah's head to hand Hope his drink just as the group began to work their way through the growing crowd to scour for a free table.

A table had just been vacated by a few men and they quickly ran over to call dibs on it. As they settled down into the still-warm seats, their gazes shifted up to the woman currently working her way down the pole.

The beat of the music had picked up and she started wrapping her legs around the pole just as her dark hair whipped around. The beads that covered her lingerie set shifted and exposed the see-through portions of the bra that hung on her chest. Her nipples peeked through the lace just as her body shifted again so she was moving to bend over onto the ground.

The two women sitting at the table seemed more fascinated with how she was moving than the other two. Hope was so much embarrassed as he was concerned. The taste of his beer was becoming more enjoyable as he swallowed about half the contents of the bottle in a single instance. His gaze was shifting every now and then to the other man seated across from him. He had already prepared himself for the inevitable encounter with the club-aspect of Serendipity. But he hadn't thought about if Noel would be so enthralled in something like this.

Noel was more entertained with how flexible she seemed to be. If anything, he couldn't imagine ever having to learn to move on a pole in that way. Of course, as a hunter, he probably could've if he really had to. Just as he took another taste of his beer, he noticed the stripper peer over at him through her long locks of hair.

The movements were sensual in every aspect. She slowly rounded the pole before letting her body lean down to move off-stage. Her heels clicked across the floor as she approached the young man seated mere feet away. As her arms ran down over tan ones, the stripper slowly worked her way onto his lap.

Both women in the group were in slight shock and fascination as they watched Noel being taken over by the stripper clothed in black and red lace. She smirked while beginning to move over his lap in the most sensual of manners. Her arms ran down his chest just as she leaned her head down towards the side of his face.

"We can make this more private if you'd like…"

A soft, slightly ragged whisper came from her as Noel smiled a bit. His hands had remained on the arms of the chair and he had made no intentional movement to provoke more sensual movements than were already being made upon him.

"Maybe some other time." A curt smile came from him once again as she returned the same gesture. Slowly moving off his lap, the blonde woman seated next to him took that opportunity to slip a few ones into the garter belt along her upper thigh.

The stripper then began to direct her attention to Alyssa who was now caught between blushing and thoroughly enjoying herself by that point. From the almost empty drink that she had ordered just a few minutes ago, it was obvious the alcohol was already affecting her senses.

Serah had a single hand over her mouth as she couldn't stop staring at the stripper who was now moving to rub herself over Alyssa's lap. Her drink was slowly being depleted as she needed to relax and break loose from how uptight she would've normally been in that situation.

"You can always get one too you know." Noel had to lean his head in closer to Hope's as he spoke in relation to what had just happened.

"I'm not into that sort of thing."

The scientist was shrinking back into his seat a bit, already dreading the concept of ever getting a lap dance from a stripper. It just wasn't something that got him riled up like it did for other men.

The only thing that he had felt from seeing the man beside of him having a half-way naked woman sliding into his arms and grinding over his lap, was that of something close to **jealousy**. Not that he should even have the grounds to feel that either, but he had.

Throwing back the rest of his beer, Hope set the empty bottle on the table before crossing his arms and trying to focus on the music instead of everything else in the room.

Noel could sense the discomfort coming from the silver-haired man. The moment the stripper had moved onto his lap, he already knew that some sort of consequence would come of it. Ironically it wasn't being left feeling turned on, because in all honesty he just regarded strippers as another form of entertainment. It wasn't something he took seriously.

Not to mention, he had been more into how he had dragged the other man into the alleyway that one day. It had probably been one of the most intense moments of his life.

Not that he would ever openly admit to that. He still wasn't even sure how to feel about that intensity.

* * *

Several beers and mixed drinks later, the group had moved to booth on the other side of the club deciding for a change of scenery in terms of dancers.

A few male strippers were now taking a nearby stage just as the two women in their group of four were leaning their bodies on the table slightly. The few drinks they had had already thrown them into slightly drunk territory.

Luckily, both men had only had a few beers with low alcohol percentages so they were still pretty sober. That didn't change the fact that Hope was still feeling put off from everything that had happened thus far that evening.

_And it was only about to get worse._

"Would you like to accompany me for a little dance?"

One of the male workers had made his way over to Alyssa. The blonde had been so caught up in the happenings that she was catching a lot of attention from both men and women. She eagerly took his hand and was led back through some velvet curtains which were clearly the more private area of the club.

Serah sighed and moved to grab her cup which was almost empty. The alcohol had worked its way into her system much faster than she thought it would. She could feel herself being there but not really being there at the same time. As she felt much more relaxed than before, her blue eyes moved to look at the man sitting next to her.

"Noel, do you think I could be a stripper?"

"Why would you ever want to do that?"

"Well, maybe not so much a stripper. But do you think I could dance the way they do?"

Hope was inwardly regretting being seated at the table in that moment. With his beer bottle growing close to being empty, he decided to take that moment to flee over to the bar.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Hey Hope hold on-"

Those sapphire eyes watched as the silver-haired man had already darted into the crowd and out of sight. Seeing how Serah was still looking over at him for an answer to her previous question, he shifted in his seat a little while trying to think of an appropriate reply.

"I'm sure you could if you really wanted to."

"Really?" Her head tilted as she beamed with a smile that was much brighter than usual. As she glanced down at the table and then back over to him again, it was almost like the emotion behind her eyes had changed drastically.

"Well yeah. I imagine anyone could."

The alcohol shifted in her veins. And as her mind was screaming this isn't what you would normally do, her body was not agreeing. The petite frame of hers worked its way from a seated position next to him, slowly moving into the lap of Noel. Attempting to mimic the movements of the dancer from earlier, she let her hands move onto his chest as she let her hips shift downward.

"Woah, hold on here a second."

Noel moved his hands, trying to grab at her hips to stop the movement that she was trying to start. He was trying to _stop_ the scenario that she was clearly trying to start as well.

And just as Serah moved her head down to initiate a kiss over Noel's lips, that was when the green eyes of Hope caught a perfectly angled view of the scene unraveling.

The bottle in his hand almost slipped but he just barely managed to keep ahold of it. That didn't stop his heart from dropping though. The efforts to contain the normalcy between them had completely shattered in that instant. The only thing he could think to do was to get as far away from that, her, him, _everything_.

Never in his life had he ever drank something as fast as he had that bottle of beer. Throwing the empty bottle onto a random table, he practically ran out of the club to try and just get a handle on everything.

_Why did he ever have to look at him with uncertainty that day?_

_Why did he ever have to be dragged into that alleyway?_

_Why did he ever have to feel the intensity that the hunter's lips had placed upon him?_

_**Why?**_


	4. Sequence III: The Calm After the Storm

_**Serendipity**_

Sequence III: The Calm After the Storm

* * *

The stars were shining in the sky, but it didn't provide any comfort to the amount of confusion that was ringing in the mind of Hope Estheim.

He rested his hands on his upper thighs as he tried to catch his breath. He'd run further than he thought he would. Escaping that chaotic environment was definitely necessary. As he stood in a more secluded area outside of the casino, a small garden surrounded him. The fortune teller's tent was just directly to the left of where he stood.

Slowly, he began to walk forward, deciding he wanted to completely seclude himself in the confines of the peaceful area. Spotting a stone bench, he gratefully took a seat on it before moving to rest his head in the palm of his hands.

_**What the hell had just happened?**_

The vision of two of his close friends enacting such a sensual display made him feel so uneasy. It made him feel so messed up so quickly that he had felt the need to run away. That was so unlike him, to become so invested in another person.

Not to mention, he hadn't felt jealousy in such a long time. The feeling was unfamiliar, and he greatly disliked its presence. Leaning his head to rest on just his left hand, he glanced down at the ground. How ironic that is was him that was feeling so left out of everything.

This type of thing wasn't something that suited his personality. Sure if he had had a few more drinks he probably would've been more laid back about everything. He probably would've been able to brush off how Serah had practically thrown herself into the arms of the man whom he had been trying to act normal with. That was already hard enough given the circumstances from a week ago.

And now, it was going to be _impossible_ to act normal.

Something shifted in his pocket and he pulled out a few coins that had been placed in there earlier that evening.

_"I think you should take half since you probably gave me some good luck."_

_A tan hand slid a few coins into a pocket of the grey jeans that loosely clung onto Hope's legs. Noel could sense the obvious inhale from the other man as he did this. It only made him proceed in staying in that close proximity._

_"Good luck..?"_

It all seemed so utterly sarcastic now.

Hope could only imagine that they would probably be heading up to the bedroom in that very instant. Who wouldn't reject an offer from a woman like her? Surely they had developed some sort of feelings for each other after traveling together so long. It was only natural.

But in the back of his mind he hated himself for thinking such things. Inwardly he didn't want to believe that, especially with how much passion had been produced just from a single passing of lips between himself and the hunter. He wished that the threatening idea of those two delving into such sexual activities wasn't true.

Feeling that sheer curiosity, he had to have it satiated. Standing up, the young director began to make his way back to the hotel suite. There was only one way to confirm his fears.

* * *

"Noel…"

Serah was intent on initiating a rough kiss with the man whom she had been partnered with. The tips of her fingers ran over the lower part of his t-shirt just as the man in question pried himself away from her mouth just enough to speak.

"Serah, stop it. You're drunk."

"So? I still want to kiss you and-" Just as she went to lean back to start trying to kissing him once again, Noel used his strength to easily grab at the sides of her arms to hold her at arm's length.

"Stop. This isn't something you would normally do."

"I just…I thought that you started to like me. I mean you're always there for me."

"Yes, because I'm your _friend_."

The young woman looked off to the side, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed and a little hurt at the rejection she was receiving. She gradually began to move herself from his lap as he kept a steady gaze on her.

"Sorry about that." Her voice was almost a mumble as she glanced over at her empty glass.

"It's all right. Are you okay though?"

With a small smile, she waved off the question quickly. "I'm fine. I think I'm just gonna get another drink though."

Just as she went to stand up, her body slid a bit to the side and Noel used his quick reflexes to catch her in time.

"I don't think you _need_ another drink."

"How do you know what I need?"

It was evident that Serah was the angry drunk type when she didn't get her way. With a roll of her eyes, she slid past him and headed toward the bar just as the blonde woman re-appeared with a far too excited look on her face.

"Ooooh that was definitely the highlight of my night. Where's Serah?"

Noel pointed over at the bar where the woman was now sipping yet another mixed drink. Alyssa quickly wondered over to her as she seemed to also be keen on getting another drink too.

The second he was alone, those sapphire eyes began to scan around the room. The one man he had been set on finding clearly wasn't here. Starting to feel a sense of impatience, he decided to leave.

If the silver-haired man hadn't already returned to the table by this point, then he had to assume the worst scenario had occurred. He must've seen what Serah had tried to do.

Shaking his head and growling lowly, he made his way over to the two women and had to almost scream at them from how loud the music had become.

"I'm going to go find Hope. Will you two be okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine! We might dance though, so if we don't see you later then we'll just see you back at the room!"

Noel wasted no time in turning and heading for the nearest exit.

Knowing the other man, Noel already ascertained that he was probably dwelling on the worst of everything. His mind was formed around that of research, so he would overthink and break apart every particle of what he had seen. That would also leave a huge space for misinterpretation.

The need to run began to work its way into his body as he escaped the sensual atmosphere that the club scene had induced. The night air greeted him and glancing around, far too many people were wondering around. It was difficult to pin point anyone from the large crowd.

He did a full circle of the central area. He came up unsuccessful.

Noel was growing frustrated. With every second that passed, the silver-haired man was falling further into those dark thoughts of something that wasn't true. He could say this with certainty, because he would've been doing the exact same thing if he had seen what Hope had.

Resounding defeat, he decided to head up to the suite and just wait for him to return there. Surely he would. Hope didn't seem like the type to want to wander around such a place for very long.

The journey back upstairs seemed like a lifetime, but when the elevator finally arrived on the 11th floor, he practically jumped off the contraption and headed down the hall to the correct room. His keycard slid into the door just before he pushed it open.

The entrance light was on. They hadn't left any lights on when they left.

Looking around, he noticed that neither of the girls had returned. That only left one person who possibly could have.

He ran over to the right of the suite, letting his hand move down onto the bedroom doorknob and jolted it a few times. It was locked.

"Hope!"

The man on the other side of the door rolled over in the bed in which he lay. His head phones were plugged in his ears as the music drowned out any noise that he might've heard.

Upon his return to the room, he hadn't seen or heard anything scandalous going on. But that didn't leave him with the notion that they might do so shortly after he arrived. Feeling like he didn't even want to take a chance at hearing such things, Hope had settled with luring himself to sleep by listening to music.

That left Noel on the other side of the door, still banging on the wood that was separating them.

"Hope, we need to talk!"

The chance look over at the door had green eyes glancing down to see a shadow moving underneath the doorframe. As he pulled out his ear buds, he could hear knocking at his door and the voice of the man whom he had been worried about all night.

Feeling unsure of what to do, he slowly set his iPod aside. Moving off the bed, his feet led him across the room just as his hand reached out to unlock the door. With a great amount of hesitation, he opened the door and his eyes met that of sapphire which held a look of seriousness.

"What did I tell you about avoiding me?"

"I don't think it matters what I do. What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were getting cozy with Serah."

The words stung and Hope knew they would. He stared at the man standing in the hallway with a look of stoicness. But he knew that his eyes were giving off a subtle look of disbelief.

"I wasn't. Nothing happened."

"It looked like plenty happened from where I stood."

"Hope, you've got it all wrong-"

"No Noel, I'm not getting into this. Whatever this is, it's nothing now. Just leave it that way."

Hope went to close his bedroom door just as Noel let his hand slam down onto it. Both men were unmoving as they stared at one another. It was a stalemate, but both were still intent on not setting aside their current feelings.

Hope felt nothing but uncertainty.

Noel felt nothing but frustration.

"I will not be ignored."

The warning from before shot through Hope's mind just as Noel began to move in for the kill. Those instincts ran through his veins as he stepped into the doorway and let his hand move from the door to grab onto Hope's forearm.

Tugging him forward, he used his other hand to grab onto bottom of the other man's chin. That same inhale of breath was heard as Hope felt frozen in the touch of this man. Staring up at him, those sapphire eyes beckoned him to remain; it was more like they were _forcing_ him to.

"This is not **nothing**. You know it too."

That same dryness in his throat occurred, and he could feel his vision almost going hazy. The subtle hint of alcohol lingered after the words his captor spoke. Hope remained still, not saying a word. In his mind though, he knew that what was being said was true.

All of this wasn't just **nothing****.**

Things wouldn't have escalated to the point of them both feeling so scattered in emotions. Jealousy wouldn't have made an appearance, and Noel wouldn't have been running to explain if something actually had _truly_ happened.

"Even still, we should wait till we have clear heads again to deal with this."

Hope felt his body being released just as those blue eyes finally tore away from that intense stare.

"Fine. We can't keep putting this off though. It's not just going to go away."

As Noel turned and headed back to the common room area, the bedroom door was finally able to be closed.

The silver-haired man withdrew back into his hiding area. Moving back to the bed, he began trying to recollect everything that had just happened. Hope felt relief that nothing had occurred between the two, but at the same time, now he had to confront a whole new situation.

The same feelings that had been lying dormant and were brought to life a week before were all coming to a head once again. They were only growing more intense with every second that they spent together. Even just going through daily activities, Hope knew he was feeling far too much for his friend.

The jealousy he felt tonight had been a clear realization of that.

But was it really okay for him to feel this way? Could he really give into that intensity that had been offered to him before? He was always so used to having control. It wasn't like him to actually be longing for the man who caused discord in the most perfect of ways.

Hope buried his head into the pillow as he tried to focus on the music so he could eventually fall asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

The sound of the drunken entrance of the two women in their group had hardly stirred Noel from his slumber. He had been so exhausted from thinking too much on the conversation before he had gone into seclusion for the rest of the night.

Sitting up off the unfolded bed, he yawned and stretched while glancing over at the curtains. It was odd not having the sun showing at all. Opening the curtains, only the night sky greeted him.

Looking over at the clock on the wall, it was technically past noon. Shaking his head, he stopped in his tracks while contemplating what to do.

Surely the other man was close to being awake. Noel started gathering things to take a shower with, and as soon as he had everything in tow, he made his way to the bedroom on the right side of the room.

A small knock was made on the door. The frustration that he had felt when he first laid down in bed had slowly faded away. His thoughts still hadn't led him to an appropriate answer, but he had a feeling that things would slowly work themselves out in due time.

For now, he just wanted a shower and a good meal.

A sound of stumbling was heard just before Hope opened the door and looked up at him with a rather sleepy gaze.

"Good morning. Mind if I use your bathroom?"

Hope shook his head while moving to the side as Noel made his way to the bathroom nearby. The young director yawned loudly just as he looked at the clock on the bedside table.

The entire morning had been slept away by everyone. With an exasperated sigh, he decided it was probably best that he began getting ready as well. The last thing he needed was to throw off his usual sleep schedule too much.

Deciding to avoid a possible encounter in the bathroom, Hope began to head to the other bedroom in the suite to wake up the other members of their entourage.

"Alyssa, Serah, time to wake up." He knocked on the door lightly just as something thudded against the door lightly. As he raised his eyebrow, he could hear a loud moan of unhappiness.

"It's too early!" The voice was obviously that of Alyssa.

"My head hurts." Serah's voice followed soon after just as both girls began to stir from the bed.

"We're gonna get ready. If you two aren't ready soon then we're going to eat without you."

Hope then curtly left his role as messenger and wondered back over to his side of the suite.

The sound of the shower running was heard just as he moved to get his bag to start pulling out what he needed to get ready. It was surprising just how calm he was feeling after everything that had occurred last night.

The stripper. The best friend making moves on his other best friend. His best friend coming into such close contact with him again. Said best friend making indications that something was developing between them. Yeah it had been easy enough to sleep off.

But as he heard the shower shut off, and the remembrance of just who was in that shower-Hope felt his heart beat in an odd way all of the sudden.

Quickly trying to find something to occupy his attention, he continued with shoveling through his belongings just as he could hear footsteps behind the bathroom door.

The door opened and revealed Noel clothed in another set of loose blue jeans as his chest was covered in a white t-shirt and an unzipped, navy blue jacket hung loosely on top of that.

Hope glanced over amidst him trying to distract himself just as he starting piling everything he needed into his arms. The bathroom was free so he brushed past the other man and dumped everything onto the counter.

"Are the girls awake?"

"I told them we were going to eat soon. I'm not sure if they're going to be ready in time."

"I highly doubt it. They are women after all."

"Right."

Both stood there for a moment just as Hope wasn't really sure what to do. He watched as Noel remained unmoving.

"Well, I'm going to get ready now so..."

"I'll wait for you outside."

Noel got his cue to leave and he exited the room just as the other man closed the door for his privacy.

Things were going smoothly so far. It seemed like they were finally going to have some time alone with each other. Perhaps they would finally get a chance to talk things out face-to-face.

_If anything, that was what they both needed at this point._

The time ticked away slowly, and within twenty minutes time, Hope was exiting the bedroom ready to go. Deciding to dress down again, he had slid on a pair of black jeans and a slate, grey t-shirt. He slid his hands into his pockets just as he saw only Noel standing in the common room.

"Guessing they're still not ready."

"I don't even think they've moved from bed yet."

"They're probably really hung over."

Hope shrugged slightly as he remembered how Alyssa was quite the drinker on their off-days. More than once had she invited him to the bar in town, but he had only gone once. The one time he had, he regretted it.

"Let's head out then."

Noel took the lead, exiting the hotel room as Hope followed closely behind him. Nothing was said between them as they headed through the motions of going down the elevator and heading to the hotel restaurant.

Even at this time, the restaurant was still bustling. The hostess managed to seat them at a booth in the corner of the restaurant, just as they were handed menus and left to ponder over their meals.

"It's amazing how the night never ends here." Hope stared out the nearby window to look at the stars that were even visible from where he was sitting.

"Yeah, that leaves the never-ending slew of drunks too." The noisy crowd toward the other side of the room was proof of that. Both men shook their heads as the resumed looking at the menus.

A short amount of time passed as they decided on what to have and placed the order with their waiter before the real conversation could be focused on.

Noel sat a few feet away from the other man who was currently leaned back against the comfortable booth. Tan hands moved onto the table as he let his body prop itself up on his elbows.

"Why don't you tell me what you were feeling last night?"

The question didn't necessarily startle Hope; it just made him feel _nervous_. This was obviously going to be the time whenever Noel was going to corner him into answering those questions he had been avoiding for over a week now.

"I'm sure it was obvious enough."

Hope looked at anything but Noel. It was not easy for him to confess any sort of feelings about anything. He preferred being the strong, silent type. Only speaking when it was in regards to his research.

Not when it was in regards to what he might have been feeling about another person.

"Maybe so, but I would prefer if you would tell me."

"Why?"

Noel leaned a bit to the side, moving closer to the man whom he had his eyes set on. His voice lowered in a gentle yet serious tone.

_"Because then it becomes real."_


	5. Sequence IV: Open Minded

* _A_uthor's Note: I decided to go ahead and post this chapter on here. If my story gets taken down so be it.

I know that some of my readers don't have a tumblr, and that it's hard to access the site since is difficult about posting links pretty much anywhere. So I'm still going to post everything here, including things with sexual situations. Sorry for the inconvenience the past few weeks that I've posted.

* * *

**_Serendipity_**

Sequence IV: Open Minded

* * *

_It was going to become a reality_.

Hope was being cornered into finally revealing his innermost thoughts on the matter at hand. His hands began to nervously fiddle with a napkin on the table just as the waiter arrived with their drinks. They were set on the table before he hastily moved to attend to another table. That left the two men in isolation once again.

Very slowly, the older man in body and mind began to steer himself to letting his guard down entirely. It had been years since he had been able to feel close to anyone. All of the former l'Cie had become like a family to him, and the years without that bond had made him cautious in how he expressed himself. But now, he knew that the connection he had formed with Noel was crossing that line over just being someone of family or a good friend.

Rather hurriedly, Hope breathed in and then out while speaking in a slight mumble.

"I wasn't expecting to feel what I did last night."

The sound of his voice instantly caught Noel's full attention, and he let his sapphire eyes focus solely on his presence.

"She kept getting so close to you. It made me feel really uncomfortable."

Noel already knew who the _she_ was in that statement.

"And it made me not want to be around you. Then she was practically pawing all over you and kissing you. I didn't know what to do. I honestly couldn't breathe by that point."

His voice lowered upon speaking those last few words. The litheness of his body shifted, his silver locks covering any traces of green that had been seen from his eyes. It was difficult to read his emotions properly, so all Noel could do was stare at him as he continued on.

"And don't get me started on the stripper."

The confession he had finally spoken left him feeling both relieved and completely uneasy at the same time. He wasn't sure just how the other man was going to react. Sure Noel had been pushing for him to open up to him for the past few days, but it still made him anxious to imagine what kind of reaction he would receive.

**Nothing was said though.**

Noel silently got up from the booth and wandered off leaving the lone man sitting at the table. As he looked up, the familiar figure was nowhere in sight. A few minutes passed, and still no sign of him.

Maybe he said the wrong thing.

It seemed as if he had. No one would just get up and leave after hearing something as serious as that unless they didn't care to hear it.

Suddenly feeling completely closed off and hurt, Hope decided to just ditch this escapade and go anywhere else. At this point, he just wanted to be alone.

Standing up from the table, he began to head towards the entrance of the restaurant, easily dodging waiters and other people in the process. Just as she reached the podium where the hostess was located, his body froze.

There he was. Noel turned around, holding a few bags in his hands just as he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I got it for carry out instead."

Hope would have exhaled all the building frustration that had started growing in just a few minutes, but he decided against it. Simply nodding in return, the two then turned and exited the restaurant.

"It's not exactly fair that I've said so much and you've said so little."

They had started walking along a path that led to the hotel entrance on the opposite side of the building. It appeared to be a less popular area as well since hardly anyone was walking along the path.

The night air gently passed through the area just as they rounded a corner and passed by the back of two shops. The silence was starting to irritate him, and just as Hope turned to look up at the man he was trying to get to say something in return-_he was cut off._

That tan hand grabbed onto his forearm much like it had the night before. The next moments were like playing back through a movie. Reminiscence on just a week ago, Noel pulled the man into a small alleyway that lay between both of the shops.

Bags were dropped and completely forgotten as those instincts began to push him into overdrive. Noel pushed the smaller man so his back was aligned with the wall. No time for protests, questions, or yells were allowed as those lips sealed themselves onto the very lips that had been longing to be touched again.

A passion ignited. The hunter let his tan hands find their way to grasp onto his captive's, intertwining their fingers together just as he placed those arms in a raised position on the brick wall.

The kiss was intense from the second their lips had pressed against one another in a familiar yet comforting way. It was heated and daring, and their bodies seemed to begin responding to that spreading passion as their hips began to push into one another's much as they had that one day.

Only a moment was allowed to take a gasp of breath before Noel had caught the silver-haired man in another kiss. His tongue prodded against those pink lips, wanting entrance, wanting to dominate over him. It was his desire to taste, feel, and own every part of him.

As their tongues began to trace over and under one another, the lower half of their bodies were beginning to produce a friction that was delving into a dangerous territory. It was at this point that Hope couldn't hold back anymore and he let a soft moan escape into the heated connection of their lips and tongues.

Their lips still being melded together sent that shockwave of feeling the smirk that Noel formed on his lips upon hearing such a delicious noise.

The distant sound of chattering was heard, it distracted the man almost being entirely dominated over. As he opened his eyes for a moment, he could see sapphire eyes now looking back at him as well.

"Someone's going to see us."

"They're more interested in their own lives. Besides, I don't think anyone would be surprised given what kind of place this is."

"Shouldn't we at least go back to the room or something..?"

"Hope, I told you once before. I'm not good at holding back."

Words were an unknown source at that point. The tan hands that had been holding his captive securely along the wall slowly released before they dived down to begin tracing up the t-shirt that had been hiding the delicate form of the man who had become the center of his thoughts.

Noel traced his lips down the jawline of the heavenly face that was Hope Estheim. Letting gentle brushes work their way down to his neck, he then began to let his rougher side take over.

Teeth bit at the soft skin that aligned over the silver-haired man's neck. A sharp intake of breath came from the man being marked upon, as well as a moan that managed to work its way into the uneasy breathing that started up.

His hands now being freed, Hope had taken to having one grip at the jacket that still rested on Noel's shoulders as the other was trying to grip at the brick wall behind of him for some sort of support. It was difficult to find any, not to mention it was difficult to keep any grasp on reality as he felt so entranced by how he was being handled by the other man.

And this was only the simple stuff.

Biting at his lower lip, he felt Noel's hand gliding up his chest even further before finally reaching his right nipple. Feeling fingertips drift over the top of the pink nub, it was then that he gripped at it slightly while resuming a harsher biting at the same area of skin along his neck.

Hope had arched his hips slightly off the wall now, only to collide against Noel's that were perfectly angled to feel the hardness that they both were now having to deal with. It only caused more pleasure to form in the atmosphere between them.

Sapphire irises peered down at the mark to which he had been working on. Seeing it and feeling quite satisfied, he decided to pursue a more immense form of satisfaction.

"I take it that you've never done this before." Noel had drew his head back enough to stare directly at the other man who was currently having a hard time steadying himself from the high he had obviously just been on.

"If by '_this_' you mean doing anything remotely sexual with another man, then no." The lust building behind those hazel eyes urged Noel to continue and so he did. He began to speak in a rough tone as he quickly shed the navy jacket he wore. It was becoming far too hot.

"You trust me right?"

The question wasn't necessary, but he still felt better knowing that this was something that the older man truly wanted. Sure they weren't virgins, but this was almost like taking another form of virginity away. Not to mention, it was a new experience. He wanted to be sure that he was ready for it.

"I wouldn't let you keep me here in this alleyway if I didn't trust you Noel."

Their eyes locked for a few seconds and that sincere communication was felt between them in that instant. Then everything shifted once again, the tide turning back to that of nothing but passion.

"Then I'm not holding back anymore."

Noel crashed his lips onto the agonizingly teasing pair that belonged to the man who had infatuated him to no end. As their kissing became incessant, his tan hands began to move down to undo the fastening of the black pants that had been clinging to Hope's slim legs.

The pants had been just as much of a tease as his lips had been. Noel was almost growing desperate to get them off; he wanted to feel every inch of him that was humanely possible.

Tugging the black pants down, the matching boxers soon followed after which revealed the very obvious erection that Hope had been feeling. A blush crossed his cheeks as Noel let his forehead rest on the other man's for a brief moment. His blue eyes glanced downward, letting the tips of his fingers trace over the full length of him.

Still feeling a little embarrassed, Hope discarded the emotion in exchange for his curiosity, longing, and overall lust. His hands moved forward, starting to undo the buckle of the blue jeans that rested on Noel's hips. As they were undone, the pants were heavy enough to easily fall down his hips just slightly to reveal the hem of his boxers.

Hope then let his fingers reach out, almost as if to test the waters as he gradually pushed down the blue boxers to let the other man's erection appear from the confines. His head leaned back against the wall, his gaze lingering on the hunter's own as he was clearly becoming enveloped in how intense things were about to become between them.

Kicking the black jeans aside, Noel moved to grab the smaller man, lifting him up to rest against the wall just as he let his legs wrap around his lower back.

Noel ran his fingers up to the other man's lips, silently instructing for him to suck on them, coating them completely with his saliva before withdrawing them from the hot confines of his mouth. As he traced his hand downward, very slowly did he let a single finger begin to prod at the silver-haired man's entrance.

The feeling was foreign, and it only grew as he felt the digit actually slip inside of him. It moved slowly at first, and then shifted a bit more just as a second finger was pushed inside. Feeling impatience growing, he knew this was probably for the best but honestly he just wanted to feel the other man already.

It took a few more minutes, but when the third finger was added that was when Noel finally began to form a rhythm. The tips of his fingers delved deeper inside of that tightness, trying to find that one spot that he knew would have the esteemed director practically screaming.

A push inside or two passed and he was finally granted that feeling of accomplishment.

"N-Noel…what did you…"

A smirk moved onto his lips just as he pulled his fingers out entirely. His hands worked their way onto the man's backside while he continued onward in not holding a single thing back.

Aligning himself up to that very area that he had just been running his fingers over, Noel slowly let the tip of his dick press into that warmth. The tightness was so immense; he had to restrain himself from finishing too soon. He was going much slower than he thought possible, having no type of lubrication coating the entire length of him; he knew it was going to be a slow process for Hope to adjust without hurting him too much.

Of course, that was only going to make the connection even rawer, which was what the hunter preferred. He wasn't so sure the always put-together researcher felt the same way, but surely he would have him feeling that way as soon as he was able to move inside of him properly.

A few minutes allowed Noel to finally push all of himself into the other man. It was evident that he was having a series of discomforting moments, but as he stayed as still as possible for a few moments his facial expressions seemed to slowly dissolve back into a look of normalcy.

"Try moving..."

His voice was low, almost ragged as his hazel eyes stared at the man who began to slowly withdraw from him before moving back inside as delicately as possible. The first few movements proceeded this way until Hope let his hands move to grip at the back of the t-shirt that fitted on Noel's frame so perfectly.

Noel felt the grip and initiated his sensual desires in the most intensive ways. As he began pushing a bit harder into the warmth that was encasing him, he could hear the gasps and moans caught between pain and pleasure. The tip of his dick pressed deeper with each thrust he made now, and in the quickest of movements he heard Hope practically cry out in pleasure.

Tilting his head up, he forced his lips to cover those pink ones that he already loved kissing far too much. No one probably paid the desolate alleyway any mind, and they were far enough inside of it to not be seen very well, but even still. Precautions had to be taken.

And as the hunter enacted every shred of dominance that he had in him- nothing but carnal desire began to emit between how their bodies were connecting.

Pleasure was enveloping Hope's entire body as he felt every inch of Noel moving deeper and deeper inside of him. That one spot kept being hit, and it kept making him writhe against the wall and press more into the kiss that was growing to an obsessive level once again.

Noel pushed inside even harder, making smacking sounds begin to echo in the darkened alleyway. Those uneasy moans that were being lowered by their melding of lips might have been lowered in volume but they still edged on his desire to completely dominate over this man.

With how intensely Noel was thrusting, that tightness began to constrict slightly as the pleasure Hope was feeling was obviously beginning to push him up to his peak. Their lips pulled apart to allow a moment of breathing just as their gazes remained locked on one another.

"Ah, Noel..."

Hearing his name said in such a way made him feel the need to finish right then and there. It took all he had to hold back, his sapphire eyes admiring the far too erotic display that was Hope. He was leaned back against the wall, his hands still gripping so tightly at the fabric of his shirt. Those pink lips were parted, still releasing soft moans that were being held back from becoming screams.

The way he looked at him already told him all he needed to know. Those hazel eyes were emitting that need for release, or more so, that he was going to be pushed over the edge at this rate.

Noel used the strength of his right arm to still hold the man up against the wall so he could continue his rough thrusting into that warmth that fit so perfectly over his dick.

His free hand began to run over the other man's hardness that had been neglected thus far. The sharp breathing from Hope signaled that he was clearly about to lose control.

That was what Noel wanted more than _anything_.

He wanted to dominate over him.

**He wanted him to lose control.**

Hope scratched along the back of the hunter just as those fingertips could feel muscles flexing. It was obvious how fast he was thrusting into him now, not to mention, he could feel every single thrust made as it hit the spot that made him want to scream the man's name over and over again.

That moment was drawing near. Feeling the calloused hand of Noel moving up and down in the same timing as those thrusts was making him lose any grip that he ever had on reality. Hope bit his lower lip, trying his best not to scream but he found it was inevitable.

"Noel..!" His hazel eyes showed nothing but pure ecstasy as he tilted his head back against the wall. The moment Noel's dick pushed against that spot for a final time, he felt himself falling off a cliff and into the unknown. All control had been lost. He had fallen captive to the control of a man who had pearl white now coating his calloused palm.

Noel couldn't help but to emit a loud groan stringed on by a moan as he thrust with all the intensity he could muster in those final moments. Seeing and feeling the man in his arms reaching his climax, he too let himself ride out his own moment. His head had tilted up just enough to let himself whisper a rough, yet sensual word.

"Hope…"

Another moan emitted from Noel as he let himself release all of his cum deep inside of the warmth that had surrounded all of him. They stayed in that position for a few moments, both still feeling the after effects of such an intense series of events.

Noel slowly withdrew himself from that warmth. His eyes remained unmoving from the other man, much as they had always been lately.

"Still think that I want to do things with Serah?"

The usually cool and collected researcher was far too busy trying to compose himself, first by regaining a normal breathing pattern, then by starting to address his lack of attire.

"You better not have been thinking of her during all of that."

Hope was joking of course. It had more than obvious that the passion that had built up between them was out of complete honesty. The way that those sapphire irises were still staring at him even now showed that to be true.

"I wasn't. I'll prove that to you too, over and over again."

"Is that a promise?"


	6. Sequence V: Dynamic

_**Serendipity**_

Sequence V: Dynamic

* * *

_It certainly had become a promise._

Both men had hardly managed to re-dress themselves before heading back up to the hotel suite. They almost forgot the food that they had originally gone to get for lunch.

Upon entering the suite, the sound of hairdryers could be heard in the room where both women were. It seemed as if they had finally gotten out of bed and were preparing for the day.

That didn't stop the masculine form of the equation from doing whatever the hell they wanted wherever they wanted.

The kitchen had at least been reached. Plates had been taken out in order to re-heat the food that they had ordered. At least half of their meal had been finished.

Hope sat at the bar, resting comfortably on the cushioned stool. He certainly needed it after the events that had just occurred. Walking had been a pain in the ass, and he refused to let the other man carry him like some damsel in distress.

The food was a good energy boost. Noel already concocted in his mind that they were both going to need that energy to continue in certain activities for the duration of their stay. Whether that was touristic activities or those for their eyes only, that would soon be revealed.

"It figures we would just settle on a pizza."

It hadn't been surprising that two men would end up ordering something so simple. The pepperoni had been a little spicy, but it was a nice touch. Hope started on his second piece just as he saw looked up to see the other man staring at him.

The gaze was always so intense. Even now, he couldn't help but to feel flustered and a little nervous. If anything, he should've felt comfortable given everything that had just happened less than an hour ago. But, he still felt like a boy with a crush-A very _intense_ crush.

As Noel stood on the other side of the bar and still in the middle of the kitchen, he noticed the other man tilt his head to the side a bit.

"You've got something, right there." Hope tried to instruct him to where the slightest bit of sauce had ended up along the right side of Noel's lips and somewhere along his cheek.

"Where? Here?" His fingertips began to trace over said area, but he couldn't seem to be find it exactly.

Very slowly, Hope slid off the chair. A small moment of pain ran through him but he quickly walked it off by moving around the corner and into the kitchen. As he stood in front of Noel, he let his own hand move to rub off the spot from his cheek.

"There."

Hope was about to withdraw, but Noel caught that very hand that had just assisted him before he could. He tugged him back to rest against his chest, just as he stared down at him with a smile appearing on his features.

"Thanks."

Both men stayed in that position for a brief moment before the smaller of the two could sense how those sapphire eyes seemed to be closing in on him. Those lips leaned in, and Hope couldn't help but to let himself tilt up to fall into a chaste kiss.

That gentleness didn't last for very long though.

Noel pressed further into the joining of their lips, and Hope moved his free hand up to grip into the brown locks of the hunter. Their bodies began rubbing against one another again, and unknowingly began to back up against a nearby pillar.

Those gentle moans that Hope had made before began to start up again in the interlocking of their lips, and it only teased Noel into moving his hands southward, letting them grip at the other's hips which were now perfectly aligned for grinding against one another.

The sexual tension was building, and just as they were both getting far too caught up in the moment, that was when the reality hit and they realized they weren't alone.

A door opened nearby; luckily they were on the other side of the pillar so nothing was seen. It sounded like both girls were exiting the room, which gave the men a few moments to pull away and try to straighten themselves out.

They leaned forward against the counter; Hope had to stretch over the counter to reach the plate off the bar nearby. Those sapphire eyes had to resist staring at his perfectly shaped ass and instead focus on calming himself down.

There would be time for that later.

"Uggggh, I am so tired." Alyssa sighed as she entered the kitchen, moving to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. She handed a second bottle to Serah who had taken a seat at the bar.

"Me too. Remind me to never have that drink again. I'm sticking with something simple." The pink-haired woman clearly still had a slight headache as she took a few pills and drank some water.

"Pizza. Yum." The blonde eagerly grabbed a piece just as Serah waved away the idea.

"I think I'm going to skip eating just yet."

"Greasy food isn't necessarily good for you during a hangover anyway." Hope pointed out just as he picked off a single pepperoni and ate it.

"Did I do anything last night?" The young Farron looked over at the other three in the room. Her hands fiddled with her side-ponytail as she looked worried. "I can't really remember much of anything."

Noel looked over at Hope and then back to the woman at the bar. With a shrug, he replied in a simple manner before taking another bite of his pizza.

"Not that I can remember. I just know you can be quite the angry drunk."

A blush of embarrassment crossed her features just as Alyssa was trying not to laugh in response.

"Don't worry Serah; I'm sure we'll find some more hot guys tonight." Just as the blonde finished her slice, she took a sip of water before practically jumping in the air. "Oh speaking of which, tonight we're all dressing up. And by 'up', I mean we're going in our sexiest outfits. Which for you two, that would probably be suits."

Noel raised an eyebrow at the statement, looking back at the woman who was dictating their plans.

"Is that right? Since when do you tell us what to wear?"

"Since you two are going to be the company of two, gorgeous women of course. Well, at least till we reach the club again. Then we're probably just going to go our separate ways."

"Well what should we do until then? You two clearly aren't ready to go dance the night away just yet." Hope had finally calmed the problem that had formed from his close encounter with the other man. He turned and looked over at Alyssa and then to Serah.

"I'm thinking, miniature golf? Then the scenic ride over all of Serendipity?"

* * *

The miniature golf had been a good idea for both men, maybe not so much so for the women though. They weren't very skilled at the game, and Serah was getting annoyed every time the ball would miss the target. Alyssa was a bit nonchalant about the entire thing. She seemed more occupied with watching the two men play.

The game wasn't new to Hope, for he had been taken to play it a few times with both of his parents when he was younger. Feeling a bit miffed at how he kept barely missing the hole though, he took to the second to last marker on the field.

"You need to breathe in before you take the swing."

Noel came up from behind of him, letting his own arms run down those smaller ones just as his muscles could be felt flexing slightly from the movement. A blush was on Hope's cheeks but he hid it from view by staring over at the hole he was aiming for.

"Relax your body." The subtle tone of Noel's voice ran softly over the ear that was covered slightly by silver locks. "Breathe in..and swing."

The voiced instructions proved to be quite relaxing, mainly because it was coming from the man whom he was far too infatuated with. Breathing in slowly, he let his arms then moved to swing and hit the green ball down the ramp. As it landed perfectly in the hole a few seconds later, a low chuckle was heard along the side of his ear just before a lick was made at the lower part of his earlobe.

That blush remained even now, and Hope moved from the embrace as he attempted to regain his composure from the shiver that shot through his body before looking over at anyone in the group, even more so at Noel.

Alyssa rolled her eyes as she made her way over to Hope and latched onto his arm much like she had when they had all first met.

"Can we go to the ride now?"

"This was your idea." Noel had propped the club over his right shoulder as he watched the woman remain in that latched on position. Inwardly, he tried to brush it off as much as possible.

"It was fun for the first ten holes, and then it got repetitive." She rolled her blue eyes before moving off of Hope and running to grab Serah's hand. As the two women ran to return their clubs, the men were left to gradually follow after them.

They deposited their clubs back into the proper area before starting to head to the path that led up to the popular attraction. The line was short at this time, probably because people were more occupied gambling away their money and throwing around their money in the strip club.

The ride appeared to have 5 carriages that ran at a time. In sequential order, the description of the ride that was displayed on an overhead screen showed it would run through the entirety of Serendipity and it would last about 10 minutes.

"The ride only seats two. Who wants to ride with who?" Serah questioned the two men just as they approached them in the line.

"Oh well, I'm fine with riding with Hope." Noel answered rather quickly before Alyssa got a chance to intervene. She seemed to be falling into that intent mannerism of keeping the researcher close to her.

"Serah and I will just have more time to scan the area for guys." Alyssa gave a curt smile before turning to the receptionist at the front of the line. She directed them to the first open carriage just before she stopped the other two in line.

"The next carriage will be available in just a moment."

Both women waved at them just as their carriage took off into the night sky. Less than a minute later, a red carriage pulled up, the door swinging open automatically to allow the next two occupants inside.

"Enjoy the scenery of Serendipity."

The carriage only held one bench, forcing both of them to sit directly next to one another. As the door closed after they were safely seated, it lurched forward slowly and moved along the line to lift into the sky.

"I think she wants your attention again."

Golden lights sunk through the windows as they passed over the central area. As they both glanced around, the top and bottom of the carriage had a window placed in both areas, showing every angle possible.

"You know she's just annoying." Hope replied in reference to his assistant that had started being clingy again, h then glanced between the window to his right, then the one below him, and then finally over at the other man.

"I don't care what she is; I don't like her near you."

Noel couldn't hold his dislike back as he noticed those hazel eyes shine with a hint of amusement.

"Oh really? Well how do you think I felt when I saw Serah all over your lap last night?"

"That wasn't something she would've normally done."

"Yeah but she still _did_. And whenever people are drunk, they do the things they secretly wish they could when they were sober."

"We did things when we were sober Hope. So I think that holds more credibility than a drunken mishap." Noel leaned in to a close proximity than they already were. His hands moved to grab at those delicate hips again just as he saw Hope lean back against the side of the carriage.

"It seems like you can't stop doing those things now either." Inwardly, Hope was thoroughly enjoying the massive amount of attention he kept receiving from the other man. He'd never admit to liking such a thing though. It was part of their dynamic, teasing one another until it reached a heightened intensity that begged for release.

"Is that a problem?" Those instincts began to kick up just as red lights filled the vicinity for a few moments. The carriage was passing over the casino area just as they were zoomed out into a darker area for a few minutes.

"Even if it was, I don't think you'd give me a choice in the matter." Hope ran his hands onto that chest that was so close to him now. His fingertips could trace over the heartbeat that was like a steady rhythm which he loved feeling.

"I always knew you were smart." The reply was sarcastic yet holding a tone of truth just as Noel moved his head in to initiate a slow kiss.

How had they already gotten to this point? Less than 24 hours before they had been awkward as hell around one another and now here they were making-out above the grounds where sin and greed enacted themselves every day. The entire thing was almost like a surreal movie, but it was reality.

All because of that one, rainy day. A hidden desire led to hidden feelings that had yet to be discovered. They were rapidly growing though since that occurrence a week before, and now the two were finally being able to dive head-first into all of those feelings.

The growing frustration, all the uncertainty, it had built up to the point where the emotions had boiled over and still had yet to be satiated. Every time the hunter let himself dominate the man in just a touch or kiss, he knew that he was never going to be fully satisfied. It was almost like an obsession.

"I'm still…in recovery-mode..." Hope had barely managed to breathe out the sentence in between the gripping and hot kisses.

"I know, but you're such a fucking tease." The obscenity slipped out of his mouth, but it still sounded so alluring as it did. Noel broke away from the kiss, fearing he wouldn't be able to stop himself from ravaging the other man if he didn't stop soon.

"And you're not?" The older of the two was still leaned against the side of the carriage as he kept his focus on the man sitting nearby.

Noel rubbed the back of his head while trying not to look too much at the man still leaned up against the wall in such a sensual manner. What was with him and having this man against the wall?

"If that makes you want me to want you, then sure."

It was only because Hope had adapted to understanding such odd sentences that he was able to catch the meaning behind those words the first go-around. Another flash of golden lights filled the carriage as they passed over what appeared to be the last segment of the ride.

The movement of the vehicle began to slow down as they approached the exiting area. When it came to a complete stop, the side door swung open, allowing the occupants to leave.

"That would've been so romantic to go on a guy with." Alyssa was practically swooning as Serah couldn't help but to smile in agreement.

Noel had brushed past the other male in the group, whispering softly to him as he did so.

"_It sure was."_


End file.
